Portable electric heater



' Oct. 29, 1946. J. J. GOUGH RORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1944 IN V EN TOR. I (lazy/0 t gt Oct. 29, 1946. GQUGH A 2,410,211

PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATER Filed July 8, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INENTOR.

. v I ,BY 0% Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATER James J. Gough, Chicago, Ill. assignor to Chicago Electric Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 8, 1944, Serial No. 544,034

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to portable electric heaters and more particularly to portable electric room heaters of the type using both radiation and convection to distribute the heat. Previously it has been suggested to provide a portable electric heater of the radiant energy type with means for directing air which is to be heated so as to obtain the advantage of distributing heat by convection. Particularly in the case of portable electric heaters of the radiation type, there has been the hazard of fire starting when inflammable material is placed close to such heaters. At times articles have been hung up to dry and a radiant type of heater has been placed so as to dry the articles. In such instances when the articles are placed rather close, they become heated by the concentrated beam of energy to such an extent as to burst into flame. In other instances of course heaters may be placed too close to draperies and upholstered furniture. It, therefore, would be desirable to reduce or eliminate the possibility of the fire hazard heretofore encountered with portable electric room heaters.

In accordance with the present invention the entire outer casing for the room heater is maintained at a relatively low temperature and a stream of air is forced forwardly of the reflected radiant energy from the heater so that even if the heater is used for drying apparel, there will be no danger of the apparel reaching such temperature when dry as to create a fire hazard. In accordance with the present invention air is drawn from adjacent the floor or the bottom of the heater and directed upwardly between the outer casing and the reflector for the heating element and directed outwardly through suitable openings in the reflector so that the air stream will be generally parallel to the direction of the reflected radiant energy from the heating element.

It, therefore, is an object of the present invention to provide an improved portable electric room heater.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved portable electric room heater utilizing both convection and radiation.

t is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved portable electric room heater which is much safer to use and which materially reduces fire hazard.

Other and further objects of the present invention subsequently will become apparent by reference tothe following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable electric room heater constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the radiant heat energy reflector forming a part of the heater shown in Figure l;

Figure. 3 is a cross sectional view along the lines 3-,-3 of Figure 1,;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional .view of the heater as seen along the lines 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 he cross sectional view of the heater asseen along the line 55 of Figure 1,

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that there has been provided an electric heater having an. outer casing 10 supported by a plurality of members l2 so that the bottom of the heater is raised from the floor or the surface upon whichthe heater is placed. In the upper por- .tion of the housing It) there is positioned a cylindricalparabolic reflector I 4 having closed ends. The reflector i4 is shown in detail in the perspective view of Figure 2. In front of the parabolic reflector l4 thereismounted a protective grill .IS. A cylindrical electric heating element I8 is positioned atabout the focal point of the parabolic reflector H.

The parabolic reflector I4 is provided with a plurality of louver-like openings 20 each having aforwardly extending fin portion 22 so arranged that air supplied from in back of the reflector Will be directed forwardly .in directions generally parallel to the reflected radiant energy from the heater l8. The top end of the reflector l4 may also be provided with a plurality of openlugs 26 having angularly extending .fin portions 28 so that air passing through the openings will be directed forwardly toward the front of the heater.

Preferably thev parabolic reflector I4 is supported by thehouslng ill at the forward edge of ,the reflector. The remainder of the reflector I4 is arranged in spaced apart relation with respect to the sides and ,top of the outer casing in. The reflector l4 may have the top 24 and the bottom 30 secured to the parabolic .portion of the reflector inany suitablemanner although it has been found relatively simple to fasten these parts together by a plurality of bolts 32. The heater l8 extends between the upper and lower ends 24 and 30 of the reflector l 4 and maybe retained in posi-.- tion by. a plurality of screw members 33. Suitable electric conductors extend from the heating element lB- to insulated binding posts 34 which in 3 turn are connected to electric conductors 36 connected to an extension cord 38 which passes through a suitable grommet 40 in the back of v the housing I'D.

As may be seen from Figures 3 and the bottom 42 of the outer casing I0 is provided with a plurality of openings 44 so that air may be drawn in to the interior of the housing l0 by a suitable fan 46 driven by a motor 48 supported upon a cross member 50 secured to the bottom 42 by bolts 52. The fan 46 preferably is arranged to operate within a cylindrical member 54 which serves to increase the efliciency of the fan and to assist directing upwardly air entering through the openings 44 in the bottom 42 of the housing I0. By suitable connections with the electric cord 38 electrical energy is supplied to the electric fan motor 48 which is connected in parallel with the electrical heating element l8. At the rear the outer casing l0 may be provided with a suitable handle 56 so that the heater may be readily transported from place to place.

When the end of the electric cord 38 is plugged into an electric outlet or receptacle, energy is supplied to the electric heating element I8 and to the electric fan motor 48. The fan motor 48 causes the fan 46 to draw in air between the lower support members l2 through the openings 44 in the bottom 42 of the outer casing Hi. The air passes upwardly within the cylindrical member 54 into the interior of the chamber l0 whereupon the air passes upwardly around the parabolic sides of the reflector l4 and above the top 24 of the reflector. The air is discharged through a plurality of openings and 26 in the parabolic reflector and in the upper end so that air moves forwardly through the protective grill l6 into the room. The punched out portions remaining as a result of the formation of the openings 20 are each arranged to be on the side of the opening 20 nearest the electrical heating element l8 so as to tend to prevent the air from striking directly against the element l8. Each of the fln-like portions 22 extend forwardly so that the air moves in directions generally parallel to the direction of the reflected radiant energy. Since the air is continually moving through the inner chamber 10 the casing will never reach a temperature sufficiently high as to constitute a fire hazard. If the room heater is placed so as to be close to materials such as draperies or clothes being dried, the continual movement of the air from the heater will be sufiicient to prevent the material from acquiring a hot spot sufficient to scorch or ignite the material. Furthermore the movement of the air through the housing I 0 cools the housing suiiiciently at all times so that accidental engagement with the outer housing will not cause any injury to any person. When the heater is placed so as to face an individual, the action of the forced air distributes the heat so that only a pleasant sensation is experienced by the individual. The air action also accelerates the more even rise of tem erature in all parts of the room.

While for the purpose of describing and illustratin the present invention a certain specific embodiment has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby since obviously such variations are contemplated as may be commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

This invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A portable electric room heater comprising a closed outer housing having an air inlet adjacent the bottom thereof, an electric heating element mounted within the upper portion of said housing, a cylindrical parabolic reflector positioned about said element in spaced relation to 5 said housing, said reflector being provided with a plurality of generally longitudinal louver-like air passages for discharging air parallel to the direction of the reflected heat rays, and an electric fan mounted within said housing for producing a forced air circulation between said reflector and said housing.

2. A portable electric room heater comprising an electric heating element mounted in a reflector, a housing connected to the outer edges of said reflector and arranged in spaced relation to the remainder of said reflector, an air inlet for said housing, a plurality of louver-like air outlets arranged in said reflector to permit passage of air from within said housing in a direction generally parallel to the direction of the heat rays reflected by said reflector, and means for causing air from said inlet to be circulated between said reflector and said housing and to be discharged through said reflector air passages.

3. A portable electric room heater comprising an electric heating element mounted at the focal point of a parabolic reflector, a housing connected to the outer edges of said reflector and arranged in spaced relation to the remainder of the reflector, an air inlet adjacent the bottom of said housing, a plurality of louver-like air passages arranged in said reflector to direct air from within said housing in directions generally parallel to that of the heat rays reflected by said reflector, and means mounted within said housing for causing air from said inlet to be circulated between said reflector and said housing and to be discharged through the passages in said reflector.

4. A portable electric room heater for heating by radiation and convection comprising a cylindrical parabolic reflector having closed ends, a cylindrical electric heating element mounted in substantially the focal point of said reflector, a metal housing for said reflector, said housing engaging the forward edges of said reflector and supporting the remainder of said reflector in spaced relation to said housing, a plurality of supports for said housing to support the bottom thereof in spaced relation to a surface upon which said heater is placed, an air inlet located adjacent said bottom to permit air to circulate in said housing about said reflector, and a pluralityof vertical louver-like openings spaced about the parabolic portion of said reflector to permit air to be discharged from inside said housing.

5. A portable electric room heater for heating by radiation and convection comprising a cylindrical parabolic reflector having closed ends, a cylindrical electric heating element mounted at 60 substantially the focal point of said reflector, a metal housing for said reflector, said housing adjacent the upper portion thereof engaging the forward edges of said reflector and supporting the remainder of said reflector in spaced relation to said housing, a plurality of supports for supporting the bottom of said housing in spaced relation to a surfac upon which said heater is placed, an air inlet located in said bottom, a plurality of vertical louver-like openings spaced about the parabolic portion of said reflector, anrl an electric fan mounted within said housing adjacent said bottom for circulating air within said housing about said reflector and discharging said air through said louver-like openings in directions substantially parallel to the reflected radiant energy from said heating element.

6. A portable electric room heater for heating by radiation and convection comprising a cylindrical parabolic reflector having closed ends, a cylindrical electric heating element mounted at the focal point of said reflector, a metal housing for said reflector, said housing engaging the forward edges of said reflector and supporting the remainder of said reflector in spaced relation'to said housing, a plurality of supports for said housing to support the bottom thereof in spaced relation to a surface upon which said heater is placed, an air inlet located in said bottom, an electric fan mounted within said housing adjacent said bottom for causing air to circulate within said housing about said reflector, and a plurality of air outlets formed in said reflector, said air outlets being arranged in spaced relation to each other and in spaced relation to said heating element, each air outlet being formed so as to have a forwardly projecting baflie fin member to prevent the air from said outlets from impinging directly upon said heating element and to cause said air to move substantially parallel to the reflected radiant energy from said heating element.

JAMES J. GOUGH. 

